


Overworking

by moretrash



Series: Dads of Marmora [51]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Dads of Marmora (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Overworking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 10:04:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17558324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moretrash/pseuds/moretrash
Summary: Two times Keith overworks himself, but gets the love and relaxation he needs.





	Overworking

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:
> 
> "How about a story where Keith overstresses himself like he used to, or something like that. I think it would be really interesting especially with your story ideas!! Please and thank you! Also how about a story back to when Antok would have to pull Keith out of the training rooms when he over worked himself? That would be interesting too!"

1.

Keith wasn’t having a great time with the blade of marmora.

He was smaller than the rest of the Galra in the blades by a significant margin, and he was lighter on his feet as a result. Due to this fact, he was coveted as a member of teams going on stealth missions.

That in of itself wasn’t a bad thing. Keith liked going on missions, it made him feel like he was doing something good. He knew he was the only one who could fit into tight spaces like vents, so his team could get more data than a usual stealth mission. It made him feel wanted when he had six different teams fighting to have him on their mission that day, made him feel like an important member.

However, none of the blades seemed to care about his needs. The policy was that, although a blade could pick their own team for a mission, they should never pull in a blade that had been on a mission in the last four days. Every blade was allowed at least four days of rest and recuperation before going on another mission. However, no blade seemed to care that he was going on a mission nearly every day.

Some of the blades cared, and didn’t approach him with offers of a mission. In fact, they were more shocked that he was on his feet at all and going on so many missions. For a usual Galra, doing that and having little contact with their pack could result in serious illness and bedrest for the Galra in question. They had considered approaching Keith about it, but the smallest blade was already notorious for being snappy when it comes to people trying to give him advice.

But Keith was exhausted. He didn’t want to go on missions everyday, even he knew that it would eventually end in disaster for him one way or the other. His muscles ached with fatigue from fighting every day, and he desperately craved to curl up in his bed and sleep for the next ten thousand years. But Keith was too shy to say no when people pulled him into their teams. He was scared of being rejected considering that he was so different from all the other blades and he didn’t want to be known as the one who said no to a mission because he was a little bit tired.

Little did he know that Kolivan would be outraged if he found out that Keith felt this way. He wouldn’t be mad at Keith, but he would be furious at the ones who made Keith feel that way, that made him feel bad for being exhausted and in pain and wanting to take a break.

-

It was another day for Keith. He woke up and winced when he stretched, his muscles exhausted from being worked through battles nearly every day when they encountered guards on missions. He was exhausted inside and out, and he was seriously considering Kolivan’s offer of having his nest open if he needed it. He needed advice and guidance from someone who was experienced at this, he needed it so desperately that he felt like a dying man who desperately needed water.

He got up and reached out to check his datapad. Like usual, he saw messages from the paladins, wishing him a good morning. Keith smiled when he saw that, but his smile dissipated when he saw the seven messages calling him down to different missions. He saw that one was from Antok, so he decided to go to that one first because Antok was one of the most important people in the blades.

When Keith walked into the room that Antok had called him down to, he was surprised to see Antok sitting alone in the room, his tail twitching back and forth in agitation. Keith assumed it was a two-person group, so he didn’t mind it.

-

The moment Antok saw Keith enter the room, he felt his heart break for the kit standing in front of him. Keith’s eyes had the darkest bags Antok had ever seen under them, and Keith was wincing nearly every time he moved. Usually, Antok wouldn’t be too concerned to aches if a recruit was experiencing them a day after an intense workout, but he hadn’t seen Keith in a few weeks in the training room.

Another blade had come to Antok a few days before with concerns for Keith, explaining that the newest recruit had been on a mission nearly every day for nearly two pheobes, and he had been in the training room all day on days that he wasn’t. Antok hadn’t wanted to believe it at all, but he knew that it was true.

So, with that in mind, he had decided to see if Keith would come to a mission even if there wasn’t one. Now, with Keith standing in front of him, Antok was scared the kit would drop right then and there out of exhaustion. He looked like he wanted to curl up in the first available space and go to sleep.

“This behavior cannot continue.” Antok said. Keith frowned and blinked as though to keep himself awake.

“What behavior?” Keith asked curiously.

“The fact that you have been on a mission nearly every quintant for a solid two pheobes, and in the training room every other day. I know you are well aware that every blade is allotted a minimum of four rest days between every mission.” Antok said. Keith shrugged.

“That isn’t required.” Keith countered, and Antok knew that there was no lie in his argument. Indeed, if a blade wished, they didn’t have to rest.

“Are you aware of what could happen if a blade does not rest with a pack?” Antok asked. Keith shook his head. “They are at risk of developing a very serious illness that leaves a Galra bedridden for weeks.” Antok said. Keith looked shocked in response.

“Well, I still have to go on missions. I have people wanting me on their teams that I have to go see.” Keith said. Antok sighed sadly.

“No, you will come with me to the medical bay to get an exam with Ulaz, and then we are going to the nest where you are going to sleep.” Antok said. Keith shook his head and moved to leave, looking surprised when Antok scooped him up with ease.

“No! I have to go on these missions, I have to!” Keith said insistently, trying to shove his way out of Antok’s arms. Unfortunately for him, Antok was much stronger and didn’t even budge, merely looking down at him.

“No, you do not, kit. You need to rest and recuperate.” Antok said. Keith shook his head, tears springing to his eyes in his frustration.

“No! You don’t understand, I need to prove that I can do this!” Keith said. Antok whined in distress and laid Keith’s head on his shoulder, rumbling quietly as he walked to the medical bay.

“Oh, little kit. You never had to prove yourself as capable for this. We knew you were capable otherwise you never would have passed your trials. All you need to do now is rest.” Antok said. Ulaz bustled over when he saw Antok enter with the pack’s honorary kit in his arms.

“Whatever happened?” Ulaz asked worriedly, taking the kit and laying him on an examination bed.

“He has been on a mission nearly every day for two pheobes.” Antok said. Ulaz let out a squawk of shock and looked over at Keith.

“Oh, the poor kit. All he needs is rest and some of your muscle soothing gel.” Ulaz determined. Antok always had muscle soothing gel on hand due to his daily intense workouts, and the fact that he sometimes lost control of his tail if he got overly excited, and the muscles ached as a result. It still stood as one of the best things Antok had ever discovered.

Antok scooped Keith into his arms and rubbed his back, rumbling quietly as he walked. He walked into the nest and laid Keith down on the softest patch of blankets he could find, messaging Kolivan to come in. Keith was quiet as he assessed his surroundings, groping around for a loose blanket. Antok draped one over him and went to go get the soothing gel.

He eased Keith’s jacket off and massaged the gel into his biceps, careful to avoid accidentally slicing Keith's skin on his claws. Keith groaned in relief as the ache eased, closing his eyes and stretching out in the nest.

Kolivan entered the room and frowned.

“What is the matter, my mate?” He asked. Antok sighed sadly and ran his claws through Keith’s hair.

“Our kit has not given himself a break from his missions. When I forced him to, he started panicking in a way and insisting that he had to prove something.” Antok said. Kolivan whined in distress and laid next to Keith, gently nuzzling him and rumbling soothingly to him.

“Keith, you need not prove anything to anyone. You passed your trials, that is more than enough proof that you are capable of this. I apologize if I contributed to making you feel like you needed to prove yourself in any way.” Kolivan said. Keith smiled and rolled over to face Kolivan.

“It wasn’t you, but I appreciate it. I just… I’m so much smaller than everyone else, I want to prove that I can handle their level.” Keith said. Antok whined quietly.

“Oh, kit. I promise that you do not have to prove yourself. Please come to any of your pack if anyone makes you feel like that. We will handle it for you.” Antok said. Keith relaxed and curled up. He had always dreamed of having protective family members, and now he had them.

-

2.

Keith now had his mother back for the first time in eighteen years, and he was ecstatic. He had dreamed for years of meeting his mother, and now he had her, and a twin sister.

 

As he watched Acxa train, he saw a very capable fighter who could easily keep up with every other Galra because she had been born with dominant Galra features and strength. If Keith was being honest with himself, he wondered if his mom saw him as weak.

If only he knew that Krolia would never see him as weak just because he couldn’t as easily keep up with the much stronger, much bigger Galra.

But Keith was kept awake at night plagued by the question of if he deserved his mother and sister. In the back of his mind, Keith knew that even having the thought that he had to deserve his family’s love wasn’t entirely healthy. Still, Keith started formulating a plan to train far more than he had been.

He knew that Antok would never allow him to train in the training rooms. Even if Keith didn’t go to the main training room that his father figure oversaw, the Galra that ran the smaller training rooms would alert Antok if they saw Keith there when he wasn’t supposed to be. After that, Keith quickly found himself being carried out and lectured.

He had tried multiple times, too. Each attempt had been unsuccessful.

But, now Keith had a plan that he thought just might work.

If he could sneak a training bot out of one of the training rooms, it shouldn’t be too hard to move it into another empty room. If he locked the door, he may not be caught training when he shouldn’t be.

-

When his pack settled down into bed, Keith was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up at his mom’s side and fall asleep before he could even have a blanket.

Instead, he curled up at his mom’s side and waited patiently for his entire pack to fall asleep, nearly dropping off to sleep a few times himself. Once he was absolutely positive that his entire pack was dead to the world at least for the next several hours, he got up and made his way out of the nest room.

The hallways were dark and foreboding, dimly lit just enough to guide someone’s way if they were to need to get up for any reason. While people weren’t allowed in the kitchen during the night, the medical bay was open all hours of the day for middle-of-the-night medical emergencies.

Keith made his way to the training room supply room. He had spent a few days trying to figure out the code to unlock it, and now that he finally knew it, he took the chance to get in. He put in the code easily, and he figured that Antok needed to take advice from Thace, because the code had been 0000, which was very easy to guess.

Automatically, the light illuminated, and Keith turned his head away with a squint to block out the light until he adjusted to it. He made his way into the supply room and grinned when he saw a training bot. Keith dragged the training bot through the base, wincing at the sound of metal scraping on metal floors as he took the bot to the room that he had set up. It was in an uninhabited part of base, in a large bedroom.

He deposited the bot against the wall of the room and smiled triumphantly. He made his way to the supply room and relocked it before he walked back to his nest room. By that point, Keith was exhausted, dropping heavily next to Krolia and curling up against her side. Krolia cracked her eyes open and smiled, wrapping an arm securely around her youngest kit before falling back asleep.

-

Keith forced himself to wake up at his usual time the next morning, though he was clearly not very happy about it when Thace shook him and his two siblings awake. Krolia was already awake and ready to go to breakfast with her kits. Keith liked to be with his mother, because she was a very reassuring presence for him, but he was dead on his feet as he went to breakfast.

After breakfast, the three kits made their way to the training room. Antok greeted them with an affectionate nuzzle for all three of them. Keith grinned and started up a training bot. Antok observed his three kits closer than he did the other people training, extremely concerned about their wellbeing.

Keith dragged his way through training, wanting nothing more than to curl up on Antok’s back and sleep until lunch. Antok would allow him without a complaint, he knew, because Keith had done it before when he hadn’t slept well the night before. If Antok need to have a greater range of movement, he would take Keith to the nest in his office to sleep peacefully.

However, he fought against the training bots with vigor to keep himself awake, because he fully planned on skipping his usual nap after lunch to train with the hidden bot. When training was over, he followed Antok and his siblings into the dining hall for lunch, loading up his plate with a lot of his favorite foods. However, a lot of his favorites were pretty healthy, and he knew Ulaz would approve of his choices.

-

Krolia was confused when Regris and Acxa walked in, but Keith wasn’t with them. Usually, the three kits would join her in the nest for a nap after their lunches. She was confined to the nest or light work, as was the usual for blades who were long-term missions like she had been, so she could usually be found in the nest or in a smaller training room doing a light workout, or with Thace working on codes.

“Where’s Keith?” She asked curiously. Regris shrugged.

“He said he would be back. I thought he forgot something in the training room or something.” Regris said. Krolia nodded and opened her arms for her two kits to come lay with her.

After another half a varga without Keith appearing, Krolia started to worry. She was always concerned about her kits and their wellbeing, but she couldn’t help but feel as though something was wrong with her youngest kit. She pulled out her datapad and messaged all of her pack members to see if Keith had come to nap with them.

When all four of her other pack members messaged back that they didn’t have Keith in their offices, Krolia became more concerned. She got up and nuzzled her other two kits gently, leaving a message within sight that read “went to find Keith, will be back soon” so that the kits wouldn’t get concerned if they woke up and she wasn’t there like she usually was.

She left the nest room after soothing Regris’ dismayed, still asleep whimpers when she got up. Usually, when Keith disappeared for a little bit, he was in his personal bedroom, just wanting to be alone for a little bit, so she made her way to that room first. She rapped her knuckles on the door and waited patiently for a response, frowning when she got none.

 

“Keith, are you in there?” She asked, opening the door. She was surprised to find it empty, having expected Keith to just be too deeply asleep to hear her knock on the door. If Keith wasn’t in his room, where could he possibly be?

She made her way through the usual spots that Keith could be found: the training room, the library, the gardens, and the basking room, but Keith was nowhere to be found. Krolia found herself becoming more and more concerned, pulling out her datapad and video calling Keith. She whined in distress when Keith didn’t answer, her ears pinning back and twitching in agitation much in the same way Antok’s tail did when he was upset. 

She video called Antok with a frown. “Tok, our kit has gone missing.” She said worriedly. Antok frowned and tilted his head.

“Which kit has gone missing?” he asked.

“Keith. I have checked his personal nesting room and all of his favorite places, but I have yet to find him.” Krolia said.

“Well, sometimes, when Keith is very upset over something, he will hide in the less used part of the base so he's less likely to be found. I would love to assist you if you wish.” He offered. Krolia nodded a bit.

“I am in the basking room now. Come join me and we shall search for Keith together.” She said. Antok nodded and hung up, soon joining Krolia in the basking room. “Who is taking care of the training room?” She asked curiously.

“Bylnat is. I trust him a great deal to take good care of the blades that are training there.” He said. Antok and Bylnat had become good friends over both of them overseeing different training rooms, and Antok trusted him to take over for the largest one when he was caught up with his kits.

“Alright.” Krolia said, and she headed in the direction of the less used section of the base. The hallways were empty in this area, almost frighteningly so. But, it was to be expected; hardly anyone entered this area unless they got lost or were exploring.

“What is that noise?” Antok questioned, and Krolia stopped walking to listen closely. Sure enough, a steady noise was sounding from one of the nearby bedrooms. It sounded as though someone was fighting something, which was greatly concerning to the two. If two blade blades were fighting, it was of great concern and they would need to separate the two blades for a few days.

Krolia walked along the hallway of bedrooms, trying to hear which bedroom it was coming from. When she heard it clearly through one of the bedroom doors, she opened it, fully expecting to see two angry, dueling blades in the bedroom.

She was shocked, however, to see her youngest kit dueling a training bot.

“End training sequence!” She cried out, and the training bot stopped moving where it was. Keith looked over, his eyes wide and his body as unmoving as a deer in headlights. Antok entered the room and frowned when he saw Keith.

“What is the meaning of this, kit?” Antok demanded. Keith looked away with guilty eyes and frowned.

“I had to.” He said.

“Kit, you don’t need to be training. You need to be taking a nap and play fighting with your siblings.” Krolia said. Keith shook his head.

“I’m not doing enough.” Keith insisted. Antok and Krolia looked at each other in worry, and Krolia picked Keith up easily. Keith fought to be put down as Krolia and Antok walked back to the nest, while Krolia rumbled soothingly to her son.

“You are doing plenty.” Antok said. “All you need to do is be a kit, and do what kits do. Take a nap and play fight with other kits.” Krolia nodded and yelped in surprise as Keith managed to wedge himself free and dart off. Antok and Krolia glanced at each other before starting to go after Keith.

They must have made quite the sight to any blade that they passed. The youngest blade sprinting like a mad man and Krolia and Antok giving chase.

“Antok, what is going on?” Thace asked when he saw them sprint by his office.

“Keith is trying to overwork himself again!” Antok answered. “He ran away from us when we were trying to help him.” He said. Thace nodded and glanced in the direction Keith was running, Krolia just out of arm’s reach of her son to stop him.

“I will contact Ulaz and Kolivan to get him if he goes in their direction.” Thace said. Antok nodded and sighed quietly as Thace sent messages to their two other pack members.

-

Keith didn’t understand why Krolia was trying to get him to stop training. He had been under the impression that she would like it if he trained more, so he was extremely confused as to why Krolia was chasing him to get him to stop trying to train.

Still, he continued to try and lose Krolia in his running so he could go back to what he was doing. But, despite how much keith wished otherwise, he had much less stamina than a trained spy, and he was getting tired quickly. A stitch was starting in his side that made him stumble over his own feet.

He turned a corner too quickly, accidentally slamming his shoulder into the corner. He winced and continued running. Before long, he yelped as he was swept into someone’s arms that he hadn’t seen previously.

“What in the universe do you think you are doing, kit?” Keith glanced up to see Ulaz, who looked rather confused and worried. Keith didn’t answer, catching his breath from his running. Krolia came to a stop with Ulaz, looking at her kit in concern as he struggled to be let free.

“Kit, why are you so intent on training all day? You clearly need to rest.” She said. Keith frowned and slumped tiredly in Ulaz’s arms, exhausted from his chase around the headquarters. Ulaz gently nuzzled him and carried him into the medical bay. No doubt by now that the other two kits were play-fighting, so Keith needed somewhere quiet to rest. Several of the other doctors came over in concern for the kit in Ulaz's arms, since they had all come to have a soft spot for any of the kits and instantly became concerned when any of them ended up in the medical bay.

Keith leaned his head on Ulaz's shoulder in defeat, too tired to even think about getting away to train. He felt a hydration pack being pressed into his hand, and he made a noise of thanks as he put the straw in his mouth to drink.

“Kit, can you explain why you are suddenly so eager to train all day again? You were doing so well with accepting your kit instincts.” Ulaz questioned. “You've exhausted yourself again, but by trying so hard to continue training that you ran away from those who were only trying to help you.” Keith didn't respond at first, crushing guilt making it difficult to form and voice an answer that wasn't pure gibberish and crying. He had tried so hard to do what he thought would please his mother, but in the process, he had disappointed his other pack members.

Ulaz looked over as he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Looking over, he saw Thekkug, one of his closest friends in the medical bay. He had been personally trained by Ulaz himself, and had recently become the only medic Ulaz trusted to care for the kits should he be unavailable or preoccupied with a critical patient.

“Ulaz, perhaps I could talk to the kit.” Thekkug suggested. Ulaz merely frowned and tilted his head. “Sometimes, it's good for a kit to talk with an outside person. Their pack will reassure them more, surely, but an outside person does not have the insight into their lives on a daily basis and can have a more unbiased opinion.” Thekkug said in response to the look. Ulaz sighed and nodded, laying Keith down on the bed and getting up, urging Krolia away despite her protests.

“Like Thekkug said, sometimes it is good for a kit to get an outside opinion.” Ulaz said, watching as his beloved friend pulled the privacy screen around him and Keith to prevent unwanted eavesdropping. Although it wouldn't completely silence their words, they were significantly muffled by the thick fabric and allowed near silent conversations if the speakers were quiet.

-

“Now, kit, I swear to you that nothing that is said between us will leave my lips unless it is a direct issue to your safety or well-being, or you want me to tell anyone. Can you explain why you are suddenly so obsessed with training again?” Thekkug questioned, sitting on the bed in the way a supportive uncle would. Which, in a way, he was an uncle to the kits. Keith was silent for a few moments.

“Because I had to.” Keith said simply.

“Kit, you never have to exhaust yourself for any reason. Why do you think you had to?” He asked. Keith shrugged.

“Because I didn’t want mom to think I was… weak, or anything.” Keith explained. Thekkug was silent, staring at Keith in confusion.

“What? Why would you think your mother would think you are weak?” He asked gently. Keith looked at him and sat up.

“Because I’m not as strong as you guys.” Keith explained as though it were obvious. Thekkug sighed sadly and gently rubbed Keith’s back.

“Keith, let me explain to you why your mother would never think you are weak, from a purely scientific standpoint. Humans have a significantly weaker strength threshold than Galra because they are much smaller than Galra and do not have such dense muscles. Because you were born with dominant human features and physical prowess, you are naturally weaker, and that won’t ever change. But, that does not mean you are not a valiant fighter nonetheless.” Thekkug explained.

“But Acxa-” Keith began to protest.

“Was born with dominant Galran features and physical prowess, and she is therefore naturally much stronger. Your mother does not think you are weak for something you cannot control.” Thekkug said. Keith nodded and laid his head on the pillow of the bed, completely prepared to sleep. 

-

Ulaz and Krolia looked over when Thekkug opened the curtain once again and walked over to him.

“What did he say, Thekkug?” Ulaz asked. Thekkug sighed quietly.

“He said that he did what he did because he thought Krolia would think he was weak.” Thekkug said. “I told him that you wouldn’t from an anatomical standpoint, but I think he would appreciate it if you did it in your own words.” He said. Krolia nodded and sat down on the bed next to her son, gently running her claws through his hair.

“Kit, before you sleep, I want you to know that I would never think you weak. I have seen you fight, and you are a very good fighter. But, as a kit, I want you to take care of yourself and nap and relax.” Krolia said quietly. Keith nodded and whined when Krolia tried to remove her fingers from his hair, so she continued her motions.

“Okay, mom.” Keith said quietly, closing his eyes to sleep. He felt a soft blanket being draped over him and opened his eyes to see Ulaz draping a heated blanket over him, turning it on to heat up to a low temperature.

“Go ahead and nap, kit. I will wake you up for dinner.” Ulaz said. Keith nodded and relaxed once again, laying down to relax.

Soon enough, he was fast asleep, reassured by the words of Ulaz, Krolia, and Thekkug.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my tumblr legendary-marmorans!


End file.
